Mr Luke Campbell is one of six candidates in the running to be the first elected mayor of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority on 1st May.
Luke Campbell says he’s proud of Hull. Good. So are we. But pride alone doesn’t fix anything. In the Hull Daily Mail article on April 17, Mr Campbell says he wants to “fight for Hull.” Yet, to date, he has missed many hustings events — avoiding public scrutiny when voters most need answers.
If a candidate won’t face questions during a campaign, what should we expect if they win—as some polls predict?
He says the people of Hull deserve better. On that, we agree. Which is why Reform UK isn’t the answer. A party that rails against the establishment while being shaped by those who caused the chaos of the last decade. It offers anger instead of answers—a track record of destruction now wrapped in the feel-good story of an
Olympic homecoming.
Let’s take what little he has said from the top.
“I speak the truth…” Luke says he speaks the truth, that he’s not a career politician. Fair enough. But truth without facts is just noise. He says Hull has been let down — again, true. But what follows are vague promises and sweeping generalisations, with little in the way of substance or workable solutions.
He pledges transparency and accountability—yet stands under the banner of a party whose founding cause, Brexit, was sold to the public with promises that never materialised. Remember that £350 million a week for the NHS? It never came. Hull’s last deep-sea trawler, the Kirkella, was forced out of service post-Brexit, undercutting local industry.
What we got was more red tape, higher costs, and fewer opportunities — especially here in East Yorkshire.
“Creating jobs…” Luke says he wants to create jobs and opportunities for young people. But Reform UK’s policies directly clash with Hull’s real economic future. Our region is becoming a renewable energy powerhouse, with Siemens, Ørsted, and others investing heavily—despite the economic drag created by Brexit.
Jobs in green energy aren’t theoretical. They’re already here. Reform UK’s plan to scrap net zero would jeopardize this momentum. That’s not job creation. That’s pulling the plug on Hull’s future.
He talks about unlocking potential. Yet the policies he backs risk slamming the door shut on the very industries now transforming the Humber economy.
“Britain is in decline…” Luke points to national decline: our NHS, our schools, our immigration system. Yet Reform UK offers no credible solutions—only recycled fury from the Brexit Party’s heyday, now under a new logo. Farage, Reform’s de facto leader, has spent more time on national television than some weather presenters — hardly the outsider figure the party pretends to be.
And the broken promises? Cheaper bills, stronger economy, controlled immigration? Post-Brexit net migration has soared to 745,000. The problems Reform railed against have worsened under their own agenda.
Complex problems aren’t solved by slogans.
“Free speech is under attack…” Luke echoes Reform’s go-to claim: “free speech is under attack.” But what that usually means is “we don’t want to be challenged.” Farage’s commentary around controversial figures like Andrew Tate—currently under investigation for serious offences— is a worry. Many have asked did Farage’s endorsement of misinformation contribute to tensions nationwide? There’s no evidence Mr Campbell himself engaged in any similar conduct. We must be clear-eyed. Free speech means accountability too.
“We need real change…” Luke claims Reform is gaining momentum. But speed without direction is just noise. He boasts about growth but ignores what it’s built on: dog-whistle politics and attacks on rights we all depend on.
Farage now calls for the UK to leave the European Convention on Human Rights—the document Britain helped draft after WWII. That’s not reclaiming sovereignty; it’s undermining protections every worker, every citizen relies on.
“I want to give back…” Luke says he wants to give back to Hull. Good. But giving back requires more than words. It requires leadership. Showing up. Offering practical solutions grounded in today’s economic realities, not yesterday’s slogans.
“That’s nonsense.” Luke Campbell appears to misunderstand the role he’s running for—focusing on cutting council waste and “holding the council to account,” when the combined authority’s job is about economic growth and strategy. That matters.
Otherwise, our region risks becoming yet another platform for Nigel Farage’s national political ambitions—while Hull’s real opportunities are ignored.
Let’s not waste this chance. The irony is stark. The Hull & East Yorkshire Combined Authority is the real change—long overdue. Devolution works. Just look along the M62.
And as the renewable energy economy around the Humber gains pace, the foundations for sustainable local prosperity are finally here. We must not let outdated ideologies hold us back.
We deserve leaders who understand the future, not just the slogans of the past.
This Thursday, get out and vote.
About James
James Crumpton: Frustrated observer. Hull & East Yorkshire award winning businessman. Read more from James on his Substack
Yes you must go and vote! Don’t be one of this who says,” you can’t blame me I never voted” well you can because if you don’t vote the same will happen as last July.
Now when you vote ,are you expecting a same old, same old career politician ( who some of the candidates forced this more snouts in the trough position) or do you want someone new with youth and vigour.
Ask yourself what have these politicians been doing ,what changes have they made ??
Why should this change now because they are mayor?? I say give the new boy a chance, he cannot be any worse.
An excellent, clear sighted analysis of the issues at stake and what the region has to lose if the wrong choice is made on 1st May. This major funding opportunity cannot and should not be wasted on an inexperienced ‘protest candidate’. It’s far too important